Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic progressive disorder of the lower urinary tract that causes urinary urgency and frequency and/or pelvic pain. For many years, urologists regarded IC as a rare disease for which they had no broadly effective treatment. In fact, the condition is quite common. In 1999, prevalence in the United States was estimated at 750,000 cases (Curhan, et al. J Urol 161(2):549-552 (1999)). However the true prevalence of IC is estimated to be at least 1-2 million patients who are suffering from severe chronic pelvic pain.
Treatments with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), approved for IC in 1977 on the basis of data from uncontrolled trials, can be useful with weekly intravesical instillations for 6 to 8 weeks then every two weeks for 3-12 months for maintenance. However DMSO therapy results in benefit for approximately 50% of IC patients treated and the treatment takes a long time to reduce symptoms. Furthermore, this therapy causes pain that is unrelieved by local anesthetics by themselves due to their lack of absorption into the bladder wall. Narcotics are given for immediate relief of symptoms however they are only minimally effective. Some patients benefit from formal 8- to 12-week, one-on-one course of behavior modification. Patients are also advised to avoid potassium-rich foods, particularly citrus fruits, tomatoes, chocolate, and coffee.
Therefore, treatments that would both benefit a larger portion of the patient population, provide immediate relief of symptoms without causing additional pain, without requiring extensive alterations in diet, and further provide reversal of the disease process over time are necessary. The present invention meets that challenge by providing compositions, detection methods and novel IC management treatment methods with the benefits described herein.